Category travel

Traveling on a Med Student Budget

llmckenzi 1 Comment

 

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I am a stay at home mama on a limited budget. We are constantly cutting corners to stay afloat. Medical school was not built for families, especially one like ours with children who have medical problems. We live off student loan checks that only come twice a year and a per-diem paramedic job that my husband has on the side to help us get by. So now you are probably wondering how we manage to travel so much on a shoestring budget. Well let me tell you it’s not easy!

  • We budget. I know this is a given since we are in medical school but everything we do is budgeted for. We even budget on vacation. It’s important to make a plan of all your travel expenses including hotel, food, and souvenirs. We even try to over budget in order to make sure we have some room for unplanned necessities.
  • We put a little bit aside each week. Taking as little as $25 out of your paycheck every other week can add up to $650 at the end of the year! That can easily pay for a relaxing getaway or a fun family weekend.
  • We stay with family whenever possible. Not only does that save us on hotel cost but it also fills our “home sickness” gap since we live in SC and most of our family live up north.
  • We drive everywhere! Our mini van was the best purchase we have ever made! It can easily turn into our home away from home when traveling. Plane tickets for a family of five would cost a fortune. So we drive, and if we can’t drive or afford to fly then we don’t go. Someday my husband and I dream of traveling the world on a “Doctors salary” but until then no First Class for us!
  • We bring food from home! Not only does this save us some serious cash but also since I have two children with food allergies it gives us the peace of mind that everything they eat is safe. We always make sure to pack breakfast and snacks since those are the most convenient meals to travel with. We do enjoy eating out every once in awhile but only if it’s in the budget! Another way to save some money while on vacation is by splitting or sharing meals. We can order two adult meals and it will easily feed four of us. We also eat a lot of pizza when traveling because a large pizza will feed us all, and it is so cheap!
  • We use travel points from our credit card. We put gas and groceries on our credit card each week then pay it off. By doing this we earn points that we use to pay for things like airfare & hotels. We love using the Disney Chase card because we can convert our points to Disney dollars and use it when we vacation in Disney. Nothing makes a Mickey bar taste sweeter than knowing it was purchased using your free credit card points!
  • We use websites like Priceline, Orbitz & Hotels.com. Last year we had to travel to Boston quite often because of my son’s medical condition. Over the course of a year we stayed in over ten hotels. If you book ten hotel nights using the Hotel.com website you earn a free night stay. We just recently used our free hotel night and stayed at a gorgeous hotel in Charlotte, NC. Priceline comes in handy when we have an idea of where we want to stay but also a price point to stick to.  It has been super helpful to be able to stay on budget while finding fabulous four and five star hotels. Priceline is also good for last minute travel deals. Orbitz is a great tool because you can earn Orbucks. Every time you book with them you can earn a number of Orbucks, then you can use the Orbucks to pay for future travel on the Orbitz website. You have to sign up to earn rewards though!

My husband and I made a pact prior to him starting medical school that we would never get too busy making a living that we forgot to make a life.  Now go out and see the world! Go to as many places as you can! You can always make money but you can’t always make memories (especially Disney memories)!

I look forward to hearing other ways you and your family save on travel!

 

Happy Travelin’

 

Disclaimer: These are my own opinions and experiences. I do not work for Disney, Orbitz, Priceline, or Hotels.com. I do not receive compensation of any kind from these companies. 

Ten Fabulous Traveling Tips

llmckenzi Leave a comment

This year my family & I have been fortunate enough to be able to take some amazing trips. We have traveled to Disney World, Boston, MA, Washington, DC, Durham, NC, Wilmington, NC, Hilton Head, SC and Jacksonville, Fl. While some of these trips were planned some were also spontaneous adventures. Our family loves to pack up the car for a night or two and take the kids on a mystery ride. Over the years we have mastered the art of the road trip. I thought I would share a few tips with you.

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1. Hangers- Most hotels already have some in your room however if they don’t then I recommend bringing some from home. We use hangers to hang our wet bathing suits on. Genius, I know right! This saves us some coin, so we don’t have to use the hotel dryer. There is nothing I hate more than coming home from a trip with your suitcase smelling like stale pool water (gross!). Most Disney World Resort hotels have a clothesline in the shower, so I recommend bringing clothes pins, since they take up less space.

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2. Bins- Most of the time you can find these bins in my office filled with all sorts of fun finds. When we are traveling I empty it out and fill the drawers with food for my boys, since they require special allergy friendly diets. The key is to find bins that are portable but also are not too heavy when you fill the drawers with food. The bins work out great in hotel rooms since there is usually not a lot of extra space to store food. When traveling to Disney World we like to pack extra food for the entire family so that we do not have to eat out as much, which saves us a lot of money in the parks!

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3. Collapsible Hamper- I picked up this beauty at the Dollar store. Since we are a family of five we have a lot of laundry! The hamper comes in handy so that we do not have to put dirty clothes in our suitcase with our clean clothes. It also makes going to the hotel laundry room a lot easier!

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4. Toy organizer for your car- We bought this toy organizer a few years ago and it was worth every penny! Trust me, you and your car will thank me for this tip! There is nothing worse than taking a road trip with kids and arriving to your destination to find your backseat looking like a bomb went off! I have found that a Dollar store shoe organizer does the trick just as well!

5. Prizes/ Car Games- After a few hours in the car I am sure your little ones have already played with every toy they brought with them. This is when I get the mom of year award… before the trip I will go to the Dollar Store or hit up the Target dollar bins and buy some small games & toys. I will then randomly hand out a few of these prizes to keep the little ones entertained for the remainder of the trip. Our family loves car games to pass the time. One of our favorite games is Eye Spy. Although after a while you may tire of the same trees, cars and billboards. Once your little ones learn how to read you can play the license plate game which is always fun. Another tip is to save unopened kids meal toys. My kids get so excited for kid’s meal toys, it is like Christmas morning all over again!

6. Plan Breaks- I like to get to our destination as fast as possible but when traveling with little ones I have found that planning breaks ahead of time is a must! I like to find stops where the kids can run and play. I have found that most outlet shops have playgrounds that are a great way to get some ‘ya yas’ out before continuing on with your trip. We also like to pack a lunch, have a picnic and maybe do a little shopping. If you don’t have access to any outlets or malls along your journey then you can also turn a rest stop into a fun adventure. You can have your little ones play tag or simply just run before heading back in the car. Don’t forget to have everyone empty his or her bladders before getting in the car! I can’t even begin to tell you how many times we have left a rest stop just to have someone say five minutes later that they need to use the bathroom.

7. Portable DVD player- This is my secret weapon! My kids can tell you that it takes us about 4 movies to get to Disney World, ha-ha! Whenever we are about to take a long car ride we hook up the DVD players even if we decide not to use them. They are a wonderful distraction from the long hours in the car plus who doesn’t enjoy a few hours of screen time!

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8. Snack Bag- This was a gift from another Disney loving family like us! Anytime we are planning to leave our house for a few hours we take our snack bag along and fill it with allergy friendly snacks for our boys as well as some breakfast & lunch food so we can stop and have a picnic. Most highway rest stops are filled with junk food or fast food so bringing healthy treats from home is super helpful and saves you some money.

9. Overnight Bag- Some of our road trips are 10 hours or more so we like to stop at a hotel for a night and get a good night sleep before continuing on our adventure. Instead of bringing in 4 suitcases into the hotel for just one night I usually pack an overnight bag for the entire family. I will pack pajamas, a change or clothes and a bathing suit (if the hotel has a pool) for everyone. I also like to do this when we travel on a plane too just in case the airline happens to lose our luggage. Also, when traveling to Disney World, the Magical Express will pick you up and take you to your hotel then magically your suitcase arrives at your room a few hours later. While waiting for your luggage to arrive however, it is nice to have quick access to a bathing suit or a fresh change of clothes after a long day of travel.

10. Blow up tube- I purchased this one at the Dollar store. I keep it in our suitcase as a back up if I forget to bring our Puddle Jumper life vest. A blow up tube is perfect for traveling because its compact and all you need is a little hot air! There is nothing better than arriving to your hotel after a long day and taking a dip in the pool! Also a great way for your little ones to get some energy out before heading to bed.

If you have decided to fly instead of drive to your destination, I have found that the cheapest flights are best to book on a Tuesday at 3:00pm six weeks prior to your trip. Our family has also found that last-minute travel websites like Priceline are amazing for saving a ton a money at the last minute. We have stayed at 4 & 5 star hotels for a quarter of the price and sometimes we have booked them an hour prior to arriving! Hope you have found these travel tips helpful!

Happy Travelin’

My travel bag aka my purse!

llmckenzi 1 Comment

I am a busy mama on a budget who is always on the go! Here are a few things I always keep in my  travel bag (aka my purse) to keep my little ones busy and clean! All 10 of these items you can find around your house or buy for $5 or less!

1. Baby Wipes- These are not only good to clean baby bums but they are awesome to clean up messes, sticky faces and hands. You can find travel size packages in most drug stores and super stores.

2. Hand Sanitizer-  Soap and water is not always available and trust me you will be greatful when your little one touches something gross and you are able to sanitize their hands before they put them in their mouth! Small containers of these can always be found near the cash register in most stores.

3. A Pen & Paper- There always comes a time when you need to write down a address, a phone number, or even a quick grocery list. It also comes in handy when you want to try things on in a store dressing room but you need something to keep your little one busy. My daughter loves to draw and doodle, so this always comes in handy! My junk drawer is filled with free pens my hubby gets at work. I bought a small note pad at the dollar store that is the perfect size and allows my little one to be an artist on the go!

4. A First Aid Kit- I always expect the unexpected that way I am always prepared. I cannot tell you how many times I have been to a play ground when a little one has gotten hurt. Having bacitracin and a band aid can really save the day. You can create your own kit with a travel soap dish and fill it with a few bacitracin packets, a few band aids, some alcohol wipes, sterile gauze pads, and a small roll of tape.

5.  My secret weapon- A small travel size coloring book, with a few crayons(usually primary colors work best) and a pack of stickers. When boredom strikes a coloring book and crayons always saves the day!

6. Bubbles- Kids love bubbles and best of all they are cheap! I found travel size bubbles at the party store for less than a $1.00! You can make your own bubble solution with 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons light karo syrup or 2 tablespoons glycerin, 4 tablespoons dishwashing liquid, Mix together and have fun!

7. A Hair Elastic- They come in handy when you need to keep hair out of your little ones face. You can also use them to tie off the bottom of a shirt that is too big or tie to the back of shoulder straps to keep a tank top from falling down. I also found them useful to hold up my pants when I was pregnant and not ready to commit to maternity clothes (I would tie one end around the button on my pants and loop the hair tie through the button hole and tie off in a knot). Another tip: dont waste your money on expensive hair ties in the mall when you can find great strong hair elastics at the dollar store!

8. Coins- As the head of the laundry department in my house my motto is ‘finders keepers.’ This means all the loose change I find in my hubby’s pockets is mine! Change always comes in handy when traveling with kids, especially quarters! Most malls, grocery stores, toy stores, and super stores have machines in the entrances or exits that are filled with little toys, stickers, and snacks. Being a stay at home mom I have a slim budget but sometimes if my little ones have been well-behaved during errand runs I like to reward them with a treat that wont break the bank. My kids love the sit-on rides in malls and outside department stores (that only take quarters of course). Sometimes it’s these little things that make your child’s day go from good to great and make you “the BEST mom EVER!” (as my daughter says!) Another good reason for keeping coins in your purse is for parking meters (that dont take credit cards).

9. Sunscreen- Unfortunately my kids got my irish skin which means I always need to stay on top of keeping their skin protected from our enemy (the sun!). Having this in my purse has been a life saver when we spend the day at the playground and I forget to bring their hats. You can find small tubes of sunscreen in the travel section as well as most drug stores or super stores. You can also find the travel tubes at the registers of these stores in the summer time (this is when I usually stock up).

10. Healthy Snacks- Some great snacks that I keep in my purse are foods that are both healthy and wont spoil over time. Whole grain cereals,  crackers, all natural fruit snacks, and trail mix make great snacks (just to name a few). My son has food allergies so I always make sure I have a safe healthy snack alternative for him. You can find small portions of these snacks and many more in your local grocery store, super store and/or drug store.

ps. The purse above is my everyday travel bag (aka purse). Since I am a bargin shopper on a budget I bought it at the outlet stores on clearance and saved 60% plus I also had a 30% off coupon so it was not only a wonderful Anniversary present from my hubby but a steal as well!

Happy Travelin!